Christians are calling for urgent action after officials report that “heavily armed bandits” have raided at least two churches in Nigeria on Sunday, kidnapping over 160 worshippers.
International Christian Concern (ICC), which serves and advocates for persecuted Christians in Nigeria, states that the attacks took place in a rural Christian community in the Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna state in north-central Nigeria.
ICC president, Shawn Wright, said he was “deeply troubled” by the reports and issued a call to action, urging government leaders to do more to protect vulnerable Christian communities.
The government of Nigeria must do more to protect Christian communities after years and years of ineffectiveness and empty promises,” he stressed, “Yes, it’s a complex situation in Nigeria, but Christians have suffered from extremists’ attacks while government officials and much of the world have looked the other way.”
“I am deeply troubled by the news of the abduction of more than 160 worshippers in Nigeria,” Wright said. “This is a cruel act against innocent people gathered to worship. I ask people around the world to join me in praying for the safe return of those taken, for comfort for their families, and for peace to replace this violence. We must stand together in compassion and hope.”
Rev Joseph Hayab, head of the northern region of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), report that there were “large numbers” of attackers and that they struck “in the middle of the service”.
“172 people were initially abducted, but nine of them escaped immediately after the attack,” he said.
Meanwhile, ICC said that an investigation has been launched by local authorities but no group has yet claimed responsibility.
According to the ICC, Ini Ememobong, People’s Democratic Party Head Office national publicity secretary, has also called for immediate action to protect all Nigerian citizens.
“These frequent attacks on worshippers in their places of worship, irrespective of religion, represent the inability of this government to protect the constitutionally enshrined right to freedom of worship,” he said.
“Nigerians must not live in fear when going to churches or mosques to worship. The entrenchment of such brazen criminality under this administration is totally unacceptable,” he added.
He also criticized the current government led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, stating that, “the Tinubu administration must demonstrate that Nigerian lives matter through immediate action, not empty promises. The families of the 163 kidnap victims anxiously await their return.”
Mass abductions have been a long-standing issue in parts of Nigeria for decades, with one of the most recent incidents occurring last November. Armed assailants raided the St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools in Niger, abducting over 200 students and teachers. They were all eventually freed or escaped.
ICC has also reported that Christian communities in rural areas have been especially targeted as they have “scant security”.
The Open Doors World Watch List has recently revealed that Nigeria is the deadliest country for Christians. The report also revealed that during the reporting period, 70% of the 4,849 recorded Christians murdered worldwide for their faith took place in Nigeria.